A charity set up to help families affected by amputation is launching its first sports club in Edinburgh.

Glasgow-based Finding Your Feet, which runs more than 50 clubs a month for people who have lost limbs or were born with a limb difference, will run a new monthly climbing group at the Edinburgh International Climbing Arena, which has the world's largest indoor climbing wall.

The move has been supported with a £2,000 donation from city law firm Slater and Gordon.

“I was sitting with an older lady at an event hosted by Finding Your Feet and was surprised when she started telling me about abseiling," explained Slater and Gordon solicitor Sarah McWhirter, who also volunteers for the charity. "I could see people had a new lease of life and it was just so inspiring."

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McWhirter and her colleagues will also be taking part in a sponsored climb of Arthur’s Seat later this year to raise further funds for the charity. The team will scale the local landmark 18 times – a total of 90km – to match the distance being climbed by Corinne Hutton, founder of Finding Your Feet, when she scales Africa’s highest peak, Mount Kilimanjaro.

Sarah McWhirter of Slater and Gordon and Corinne Hutton of Finding Your Feet

Hutton, who had her hands and legs below the knee amputated five years ago at the age of 43, found sport really aided her rehabilitation.

“When I was due to come out of hospital I found there was no support," she said. "That’s why I set up Finding Your Feet - to help others who were in my situation.

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“We now work with hundreds of people across Scotland. It’s fantastic that Slater and Gordon reached out to us when they did. Their help has really aided our move into Edinburgh and we hope we can help even more people in the city.”

Up to 30 per cent of vascular amputees die within a year of amputation. Isolation is a huge problem and Finding Your Feet is keen to address this. It also has sports clubs in Glasgow, Dundee, Aberdeen and Leeds.